Hood County officials weigh purchase vs. long-term rental to fix collection‑station backlog

County staff and commissioners focused on a persistent problem at the citizens collection station: bulk trash, mattresses and hundreds of tires have accumulated because the contracted hauler is running behind, county staff said.

The county’s environmental‑health presenter told commissioners the station has rented a compactor/receiver for years at roughly $4,500 annually and that Hood County has paid more than $46,000 in rental fees over the past decade. Bids for used equipment were far lower: a used packer quoted at about $7,850 and a receiver at $4,500–$7,000 (total roughly $14,850), while a new compactor would run about $30,000. Staff described a current shortfall on the bailer purchase request of roughly $7,000–$10,000 depending on installation.

County leaders expressed health and safety concerns. “Those mattresses out there…that’s just a mosquito‑breeding deal,” one commissioner said while urging a meeting with the contractor’s local representative. The county scheduled a meeting with the hauler’s sales representative to press for prompt pickups and discussed using contingency funds or an emergency transfer to abate the immediate hazard if pickups did not improve.

Why it matters: the collection station’s condition has direct public-health implications for nearby residents. Staff recommended exploring purchase of used equipment as a one‑time capital investment that would likely pay for itself over years by eliminating recurring rental fees and reducing staff time spent managing overflow.